Finding a quality pair of pants that fit me right and won’t tear after a few uses has been a struggle for me for most of my adult life. Most pants don’t have enough stretch to accommodate my active lifestyle, and the ones that are stretchy have a pretty short lifespan. I have tried several different brands like Tru-spec and Carhartt but the best ones seem to either not fit my legs or have little to no give in them. When I first laid my eyes on the Vertx Fusion pants I thought that, by the look of them, they would be so stiff that I wouldn’t be able to move very well. I took to the range to test them out in a two-week combat pistol course at work.
The Vertx Fusion pants are primarily made of a material called 37.5 polyester which is a stretchy but durable material that helps to regulate your temperature as well as aid in quick drying times. I can attest to both of those points because during my range trip it was between 14 and 38 degrees most of the time, which is pretty cold for Texas. Without thermal bottoms, I felt fairly warm the whole time and I can’t think of any time when I had wet pants because of the quick wick of the fabric. Besides the fabric of the pants being very conducive to wear by men like me with large upper legs, the crotch is fully gusseted which helps in the no wedgie while you work department. In my opinion, however, I do wish the gusset was a little larger because it is still a bit tight in that region but, again, that is mostly because my legs a glutes are a little larger than the average guys.
The organization of the pockets on the Fusions are a big advantage. The back pockets feature a double layer on each side giving you a total of four back pockets instead of the traditional two. Additionally, all four of the back pockets are reinforced on the tops to provide more durability for your clip on items like pocket knives or small lights. Just below the back pockets on each side are recessed pockets that are wide enough to accommodate a light, pistol mag, or even an AR mag, of course with reinforced top edges. The front pockets are reinforced like the rear and are in a straight line fashion instead of the scooped type like you normally see on jeans. The front pockets are a little bit too high, making them difficult to access if you have a duty belt on, but not impossible. The last set of pockets on the Fusions are on the sides of the leg, these cargo pockets are designed like your normal cargo pockets except that the insides have an internal mesh pocket that keeps your smaller items from flopping around everywhere. Also, the cargo pockets have vertical zippers on the fronts that allow for a little extra storage that isn’t readily apparent.
The knees are reinforced and gusseted like the crotch and the waist has some stretch on the sides to help you get into those hard to accomplish positions a little easier. The Vertx Fusion Pants fit very true to normal pant sizes, unlike some Tactical pants I’ve had. I wear a 34×34 usually and these fit like just that. My only real complaint about these pants, and it’s very nitpicky, is that the belt loops on the very back in the center are too close together to accommodate my fixed blade that I usually carry in SOB fashion so I have to offset it to one side. Honestly, I love these pants, they are some of the most durable and comfortable pants in this style and price range. At a price of only 89 dollars, I plan on picking up a couple more pairs of Black, OD Green, Navy, Khaki, or Desert Tan.
*Featured image courtesy of Vertx
Author – Wes Nanny is a former United States Marine and is now pursuing a career in local law enforcement.